When there are ghosts that need capturing, puzzles that need solving and haunted mansions that need exploring, who is the best little brother for the job? Luigi, that’s who! Luigi may be afraid of, well, everything, but that fear isn’t going to stop him when the Dark Moon has shattered and he is the only one who can retrieve the missing pieces. Launching exclusively for Nintendo 3DS on March 24, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, developed by Next Level Games, is the sequel to 2001’s much-loved Luigi’s Mansion and features more mansions, more ghosts and more Luigi. I’ve been playing the game since last evening, and will have an in-depth preview for you this weekend.

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon marks the beginning of the Year of Luigi. The yearlong celebration for Mario’s green-clad younger brother also includes the launch of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and Mario Golf: World Tour for Nintendo 3DS, as well as the New Super Luigi U downloadable content for New Super Mario Bros. U on Wii U.

“The Year of Luigi starts with a bang as Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon delivers an original adventure starring Mario’s not-so-brave brother,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “Packed with multiple mansions to explore, secrets to discover and a new multiplayer mode to enjoy, the game is a fitting tribute to one of gaming’s most unsung heroes.”

In Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Luigi must explore several unique mansions, all stunningly realized with colourful 3D visuals that make each haunted hallway and atmospheric detail look better than ever. Each mansion is filled with ghosts for Luigi to capture, clever puzzles to challenge his skills and piles of treasure for him to collect. Equipped with his trusty Poltergust 5000, a vacuum cleaner designed to suck up ghosts, and a variety of new abilities like the secret-revealing Dark-Light Device, Luigi must complete each of the mansions’ multiple missions in his quest to find the pieces of the Dark Moon. These missions can be replayed many times, encouraging players to earn a higher rank by collecting more treasure and losing less health.

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

All the mansions in the game are packed with environmental details that can be manipulated to help Luigi conquer challenges. Puzzles can be solved by spinning the hands of a clock with the Poltergust 5000, or precious coins can be uncovered by flipping over a rug. Almost every object in the mansions’ many rooms can be interacted with.

New to the series are fun multiplayer modes that can be enjoyed with up to four players using local wireless, download or online play. In Hunter Mode, players team up to catch all the ghosts on each floor of a haunted tower. Rush Mode finds players escaping a floor before time runs out, while Polterpup Mode focuses on a frantic search for hidden ghost dogs. Additional Nintendo 3DS systems and games, as well as wireless broadband Internet access, may be required for multiplayer modes.

As a special promotion for anyone who has not yet purchased a Nintendo 3DS XL system, those that register both a Nintendo 3DS XL and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon via Club Nintendo between February 14th and April 30th 2013 will receive a code to download one of these five great games for free in the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS: Super Mario 3D Land, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone!, Star Fox 64 3D or Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive!

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB, with the sub-classification of Crude Humour and Mild Cartoon Violence.